An upbeat Amstel Gold Race favorite Mathieu van der Poel has described the Dutch Classic as being a “bit like a mini-Tour of Flanders”, and after taking back-to-back editions of De Ronde and Paris-Roubaix, is trying ahead to tackling a race on house soil.
Van der Poel harked again to his victory in Amstel in 2019, calling his triumphant last-metre blast previous his rivals to the Valkenburg end line “my first actually massive win on the street.”
The Alpecin-Deceuninck chief additionally identified that the previous couple of weeks couldn’t have gone higher for him, and mentioned “Now it is a query of maintaining that kind for the subsequent ten days. And that can be essential as a result of each in Amstel and subsequent Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège we could have a subject of rivals with different, maybe more energizing riders.”
“Of course, I wish to return to the Amstel Gold Race,” Van der Poel who has raced the Dutch Classic twice mentioned. “My victory in 2019 is one I’ll always remember.
“The spectacular final result nonetheless appeals to followers’ creativeness, and it was additionally my first actually massive win on the street. Those are moments you cherish.”
Finishing fourth in 2022, Van der Poel added, simply served to substantiate that the race had lots in frequent with the Tour of Flanders – technical, typically very rugged terrain, which he has gained 3 times, “with numerous turns and steep hills, however with out cobblestones.”
At the danger of stating the plain, he then identified that the season had gone very effectively thus far, but additionally argued that he would maybe be at an obstacle in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the place most of the Ardennes specialists wouldn’t solely be more energizing than he was after his lengthy spring Classics marketing campaign, however that additionally they “climb higher than me.”
While Liège’s 11 categorised climbs and 4,100 metres of vertical climbing might but be a significant problem for Van der Poel, first comes Sunday and Amstel Gold Race, and the Dutchman went to take a look at the course on Wednesday.
“Not that that was a lot wanted, as a result of I clearly know the roads in Dutch Limburg,” he argued. “But it was good to refresh the reminiscence, and that may by no means be a foul factor.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a rider who has stood head and shoulders above the opposition within the three Classics he has gained this season, Van der Poel mentioned he was “not too involved” about who his rivals had been.
“Neither have I regarded on the contributors checklist but. It might sound cliché, however I primarily go by my very own energy and that of our staff,” he mentioned, noting that his personal staff – which is able to embrace Søren Kragh Andersen, Quinten Hermans, and Gianni Vermeersch – has confirmed what they’ll do, no matter opposition.
“We have confirmed in latest weeks that as a staff we are able to take management of the race when essential,” Van der Poel indicated, and Alpecin-Deceuninck’s stranglehold on Paris-Roubaix final Sunday, culminating with the Dutchman’s devastating assault at 60km to go was a working example.
“Also on [this] Sunday I can be effectively surrounded, with guys who’ve all confirmed that they’re in fine condition,” he mentioned, “And we have a number of optimistic momentum. I feel we are able to journey to [the start at] Maastricht feeling assured.”
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